Keep designing in Canva. Bring the batch here.

Your design does not need to change. Export a PNG or JPG with room for names, then place the changing details in Certly. Canva’s Bulk Create is another option on eligible plans; this route makes PDFs on your own device.

Certly does not replace your design editor. It gives the finished image a field layout and a list of people. Generation is local; public Sheets import and Gmail delivery use the API.

Bulk-generate from your Canva design Full visual guide

Let the list do the changing.

A data-linked workflow avoids editing each name by hand. Use Canva’s Bulk Create where your plan supports it, or bring the exported image and your recipient rows to Certly.

Manual Canva workflow

A separate edit and export for each person. It works for a few files, but repeats the same decisions.

Design once, merge once

Keep the artwork fixed. Let the columns supply names, dates, and roles without moving the layout for every row.

A batch can repeat a mistake, too. Review the source list and preview the layout before generating; correct the row, then regenerate any affected file.

How do I bulk-generate certificates from a Canva template?

Five steps, and only the first one happens in Canva.

1
Design once in Canva
Create your certificate layout in Canva. Leave clear space for dynamic name and event fields.
2
Export as PNG or JPG
Download a high-resolution image (not PDF). Certly uses image templates today.
3
Prepare your participant list
Use CSV or a public Google Sheet with names, emails, and optional columns like event or role.
4
Upload and map fields in Certly
Import the template and data, drag fields onto the design, and generate all PDFs locally.
5
Download ZIP or send via Gmail
Review the finished PDFs, then download the ZIP or connect Gmail to attach a certificate for each recipient.

Illustration of a certificate template with name and event fields positioned for bulk generation

Illustrative field placement, not the current editor. Positions are set once and applied to every row in your participant file.

What export settings should I use in Canva?

Export as PNG at the largest size Canva offers you, and leave the name area empty. Certly uses image templates, so a PDF export will not work as a template file. A landscape A4 or US Letter canvas at 300 DPI gives certificates that stay crisp when a participant prints them.

Format: PNG or JPG. PNG is preferable because it avoids the compression artefacts JPG introduces around sharp text edges.
Canvas: landscape A4 (297 × 210 mm) or US Letter (11 × 8.5 in) matches what most people expect from a certificate.
Leave gaps: keep the name, event and date areas blank in the export. Those are filled per participant, and placeholder text baked into the image cannot be removed later.
Fixed elements stay: logos, signatures, borders and body copy that are identical for everyone belong in the Canva design.
Check contrast: a busy background behind the name area makes generated text harder to read than it looks in the empty template.

Canva alone vs Canva plus Certly

Compare this image-to-PDF route with manual editing and a hosted platform. Canva’s own Bulk Create is another route on eligible plans.

Comparison of certificate production approaches: Canva alone, Canva combined with Certly, and paid SaaS certificate platforms
Approach	Design control	Batch production	Participant data	Cost
Canva alone (manual)	Full	Hours of repetition	Designs stored in Canva	Free tier limits apply
Canva + Certly	Full (design in Canva)	One layout, personalized for each recipient	Local PDFs; API for Sheets and Gmail	Free
Paid SaaS certificate platforms	Template library, less freedom	Bulk via cloud	Uploaded to the vendor	Subscription or per certificate

When should you not use Certly?

Three cases, stated plainly so you do not waste time discovering them later.

You need verifiable credentials. If recipients must validate a certificate through a public verification portal or a scannable registry, Certly does not provide that. See the Certifier comparison for where a paid platform is the correct answer.
You want to edit a PDF template directly. Templates are images. A PDF design has to be exported to PNG or JPG first.
You need LMS or API integration. There is no enterprise API for pushing certificates into a learning management system.

For a design and a list of names, start with a few test rows. Email delivery depends on Gmail’s quotas.

Questions / Answers

Canva certificate alternative FAQ

Design workflow, exports, and what changes

Can I still design certificates in Canva?

Yes. Keep Canva for the layout. Export a PNG or JPG with space for names, then use it as the background in Certly.

Do I have to edit every name in Canva?

No. Canva offers Bulk Create on eligible plans. Alternatively, bring an exported image and your list to Certly for local PDF generation.

Does Certly replace Canva entirely?

No. Certly does not have a full design editor. It places the changing details on an image you already made.

Is this free compared to Canva Pro exports?

Certly is free. Canva plan requirements are separate; see its current Bulk Create documentation.

Where is participant data processed?

PDF generation happens on this device. A CSV can stay local; public Sheets import passes through the API, as does optional Gmail delivery.

Related workflows and answers from the rest of the site.

The design is ready. Make it personal.

Place the changing details on your exported image. Preview them, then make the batch.

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